stay with i-6, does anyone know if you can convert one of those to run with a tbi styled fuel injection?
A 3.8 would be a great improvement over a straight 6. Get one from a Mustang. A 3.0 or 4.0 would be cool too. I'm not sure why the 3.8 gets a bad rep. We had one in a Thunderbird that ran for 306,000 miles without a problem and a friend of mine has one in a Sable with 233,000 and it only needed a head gasket once... I'm planning to either put an SHO or a 24V Duratec in my '74 when I rebuild it. I have drove both cars and they both haul the mail, in a heavier car and get good gas mileage. Would be a dream in a daily driven Maverick.
I did the heads on my 3.8 once a year it seemed. The fist time I blew a heater hose on the fwy, didnt notice untill it was too late(around xmas). I fixed it then it was fine. I then sold it to my friend and he blew the bottom end out of it and put a motor in it. By the time xmas rolled around again he lived 250 miles away and came to visit, overheated pulling into town, heads again. He took it apart and caught a ride home and I put it back together. Guess what happened the next xmas...the first $300.00 bought the car due to a blown head gasket. That was the only one I ever owned, but two engines, one car and one reoccurring problem, no more for me
The head design apparently leaves a lot to be desired on the 3.8. My Dad's auto repair shop used to see those things in all the time with warped heads, blown out plug threads, blown head gaskets, etc... They are old news now. I wouldn't trust my Mav to a 3.8. Dave
Guess ours was the exception then. Never had a problem out of it with normal maintainance. We traded the car off about 10 years ago and still see it running around here from time to time. Probably has a new engine by now.
If you want an essex V6 go with the 4.2L out of a newer F150 as it is a stroked 3.8 good for 200hp/250tq, but be sure it's after 2001 to avoid the recalls, Also the freestar 4.2L puts out 201hp/265tq As for the 3.8 if you lucky enough to find a later model windstar the 3.8 it puts out 200hp/240tq otherwise a 3.8 out of a 1999 or newer mustang would be good for nearly the same at 190hp/240tq As ford84stepside said the cologne V6 would be a good swap also, Especially the 4.0 sohc variant. Also a newer 3.0 vulcan V6 would be nice with 155hp/185tq, try for 1998 and newer because they have a stronger block and a few others changes. What I would do is raid a jaguar for the 3.0 duratec pumping 232hp/220ft/lb while weighing less than a 250 I6 and be raking in the gas mileage:bananaman I can't wait for the new 3.5L "cyclone" duratec, it would be a job shoe horning one in a maverick but 250hp minimum and 20+mpg city never sounded better. The one with the most potential is the Aj-V8 I've been thinking about this very subject for a while now but how you would managed to fit any of these engines in a maverick would be interesting to see.
i wonder how hard it would be to mod that vulcan, with the ranger 4x4 transmission and transfer case, would be to mod in and bring it down low close to stock ride height if i could do that in a four door how i picture it:evilsmile
ok guy...way to much thinking for me...i was just looking to up my horse power a bit while keeping the gas mileage. my 170 has a 1-barrel carb and i would like something with a 2-barrel for excelerating that is all....
you could probably get a decent 250 for cheap off this site and maybe slap one of the cheaper overdrive stickshifts behind it. they will hold up to a stock 302 and the 250 has decent pickup with a stick.
A stock 2bbl 302 w/3spd,5spd or even a c4 will do better both powerwise and mpg,than a 170....unless you do lots of in town driving or it's all on flat ground.My stock 302 Grabber got over 20 mpg,every 6 banger Mav I've ever had struggled to get 20,if that.If you gotta keep a six,I'm with the crowd,get a 250,tune it & ride.
wow whatd you do to that 302 to get 20mpg? Mine wont do it.....I thoght about putting a small 4v on it but I havent done it yet
cabinator, mine only got that when i was doing between 70 and 90 on the long highway.not driving around in bay area traffic. probably not a lot of places you can do that where your at either.
